Decisions behind the wheel can lead to a lifetime of consequences. That’s the message SGI and the Gordon Tootoosis Nikaniwin Theatre (GTNT) are demonstrating firsthand this spring with a live performance aimed at youth in high schools across the province.
The performance, titled The Toe Tag Crew, profiles the lives of four young people looking back on how dangerous driving decisions resulted in dire consequences. The performances focus is on key road safety issues impacting Saskatchewan teens, including seatbelt use and impaired, distracted and aggressive driving.
“Motor vehicle collisions are the leading cause of injury and death for Saskatchewan youth,” Saskatoon Stonebridge-Dakota MLA Bronwyn Eyre said on behalf of Minister responsible for SGI Don McMorris. “Too many drivers – especially teens – think it will never happen to them, but the truth is collisions on our roads can and do happen and many of them have a lifetime of consequences.”
The performance underlines a key issue in the province. In 2014, 15 teens were killed and 748 were injured in vehicle crashes on Saskatchewan roads. SGI commissioned the performance, written and performed by the GTNT, specifically to reach high school youth. It incorporates the use of hashtags and social media to engage students.
“TV shows or movies are one thing, but through live performance we can reach and connect with students in new ways,” actor Dalton Lightfoot said, who plays the role of Liam, one of the teens in the performance. “After the show ends we interact with students and continue to share the important message of road safety.”
The travelling performance kicks off on May 9 in Saskatoon and wraps up on June 3 in Regina. Over its month-long tour, the performance will visit a total of 22 high schools in 21 communities and reach approximately 5,000 youth.
